The Opelousas courier., 1887-10-08

| ina EaPfo Will De no nhSt5 II lS GSllpSThbIULs
and no adjournment until it shall have &C,
eomplished all that is expected of 1t. all OF
which / have endeavored to indicate IN this
message.
report of Col. Henry b. Richardson, chief
engineer of the State, and also etters from
Cant. James b. Eads, Gen. Wright, United
States Army, and others; .uomor,
Tit report from Col. Fl. 3. Richardson,
State engineer, accompanying the Coy
errors message, treated 81 SrteRSo OF Lhe
condition of the levees of the State and what
was required TO put them in order to resist
floods. The letters of Capt. Eads, Gen:
Wright and others bore upon the subject OF
Or Improvement.
The convention went at once to work, and
the successful
RESULT OF ITS LABoRs
is summed up IN the resolutions adopted,
which warmly indorsed the course and sug-
g~estions Of Gov. McEnery. The resolutions
were as follows:
NO EXTRA SESSION. .
81. RESOLVED, Thatit is inexpedient tocon-
vene the General Assembly in extra session
at this time"
THE opossUM FORE LHTEE.
't2. RESOLVED, That the moral support or
this convention be given the Governor, au--
thorizing him to contract for repairing what
| is known as the OposBum Fork levee, IN the
State of Arkansas, providing said repairs do
| not cost the State an amount exceeding s25,-
600, to be used at the discretion Of the Gov
ernor.
monty known as Opossum Fork, is naturally
the head OF 3 proper levee system OF this
State, to protect from destructive floods the
Tensas basin, and that the same is SO re-
| garded by our Board of Engineers and the
Mississippi River Commission.
'ReS0tyed, That We request our General Az
sembly to enact legislation recognizing it as
such, and to authorize Il State authorl-
&Jlc In M npnpp 70 urift Tho nr4hn-yf1nu ~ tha
State OF Arkansas to secure permanent pro-
lection to the alluvial lands from that point
to the Morgan City coast.
MORAL SUPPORT TO THE GOVERNOR.
80. RESOLVED, That the moral support of
this convention be given the Governor to au-
or repairing Of any important levee or levees
in the State Of Louisiana, whenever, in his
judgment, the emergency requires it.
CONVICT FORCE.
rs. Be at resolped, SThat we earnestly ap-
peal to his Excellency, the Governor Of Lou
lslana, to Immediately adopt such means and
measures as may be necessary to place the
entire convict force at work on the levees Of
the State.
TIE RAILROAD COMPANIES.
"6. Whereas, the maintenance Of leyees is
second only in Importance to their censtruc-
Whereas, the experience Of the present
year, in connection with Bonnet Care and
other cfevasses, has fully demonstrated the
fact that levees can best be maintained by
companies, whose lines are or may be con-
struggled on and near to the ievees:
In order to secure such advantages in be-
half OF the levees ii is asked that the General
Assembly shall, at its next session, enact
such laws as will authorize the levee commits
sioners of any district to contract with any
railroad company, whose line is now or shall
hereafter be suitably located for that pur-
pose, to take charge of al or any portion of
said levee; pfeUsaed, that the term of any
such. contract shall not be binding on any
district until after the same shall have been
ratified by a vote OF g majority in value Of the
property taxpayers of said district: and If the
General Assembly be without the power IN
der the Constitution to give such authority,
ting other amendments to the Constitution
to be voted on, it is hereby requested that it
will OF the same time submit sueh additional
amendments as will confer the requisite au-
thority for the purpose.
so. Whereas. the rapid development of
parallel railroads on either bank of the Mis- |
sissippi, and other lines intersecting the
State, causes a perfect system of Ievees to be
OF vital Importance to such works of internal |
improvements; be it
RESOLVED, That the chairman of this con-
ventien appointa committee of ten delegates |
TO confer with the representatives of the |
Mississippi Valley, Texas Pacific and Morgan
railroads to receive any proposition tending
toward their assisting in the matter of keep
ing o general system of leyees in connection
with the State, said committee to report
either to this convention or to the nex Leg
~islature.
INTERSTATE LEvEE CONVENTION.
IS. Reso1ese, That the Governor of This
State be requaSted to invite the Governors Of
the States of VMississippi, Arkansas, Mis-
deIar,at a'ia 70 ma sna ten nag SeIssssest G sra sppf Pb9s
to be appointed by his Exeellency the
Governor, in an interstate leyee convention
at Iicksbprg, on the first Monday in October
next, to devise means and plans to be pre-
to Congress at its next meeting, and
TO bring about harmonious action between
the several States in securing aid from the
natlonai government To- the improyementof
disastrous oyeriows and hazardous naviga-
Jon in the Mississippi riyeAand its tribu-
A PERMANENT COMMITTEE.
't9 ResoiUpd, That the Governor of the
state De and is hereby requested to appoint a
district, and ten from the State at
arge, whose duty it shall be to visit all State
IL interstate conventions called for the i'm
Of the Mlsslssippi river and con
OF levees, and to visit Congress to
nd our SenatoSs and Representatives in Sc
'uring the necessary legislation in this mat
er.
THE RIVER coaraiIssIoN.
10. Whereas, the treatment Of the Mis-
its eyentful improvement and coz
magnitude, requiring the carefnkI
OF the highest ability Of the country; j
md
Whereas, we recognize in the Mississippi
liver COMMISSION a body OF men of this
.Resoigsd, That the recommendations and
'laris OF the Mississippi River Commission. /
eIerTang to the Improvement of the nayiga-
Tally and heartily Endorsed and approved. {
q RED N ATCHAFALAYA.
I'll. Resotued. That concerning the Red
Atcbafalaya rivers, weAeem ii inexpedi- /
and ht1rtful TO the commercial interests I
the people OF the He'd river country and /
, divert the course Of that river away from d
ne Mlsslss1ppl, and recommend that the 4
1atefs Of the Red should be detected from {
ne Atchafalaya. +
..tI2 You committee recommend that de- /
on any OF the resolutions contained IN t
lIs report be limited under the five minute {
THE PRocEEDs OF SWAMP A SALES. b
a13. Whereas. there is now in the State 2
sasnry me sum OF S1S6, 855, 81, proceeds =
o,rlgress TO ting reconstruction Of Ievees: and !
Whereas. by the sales of swamp lands l
lfther sums viii accrue to said fund from .
me to time; therefore be IL D
.sResogued, That the Governor and BOARD
State Engineers be and they are hereby o
,quested to adopt such measures and o
axe such agreements as maya be nee s
and repair OF ieYees to he extent t
the funds nowin the Treasury st tba oredis Il
the levee and drainage fund, or which fl
a, Acct accrue e rem ron the salea of swamp lands q
!. BE u Jatrther. TesoJsed, That the members
Ems convention hereby pledge their ipdi- Il
dual support to securing the Dasgas DE nf &
"a. ! 4 = measures by the General Assembly as d